Day: August 5, 2017

Cadillac is about to start selling vehicles with an autonomous driving mode and TechCrunch got an early look at the technology in a production car.

“Wait for the green light and let go,” the Cadillac engineer instructed. That’s it. The car was driving itself. I, the person behind the steering wheel, was no longer the driver. Cadillac’s Super Cruise system was driving.

The 2018 Cadillac CT6 sped along US-23 under the direction of Super Cruise. Traffic was light and the weather was perfect. The system held the Cadillac sedan in lane and responded appropriately to traffic. I spent an hour on the expressway and touched the steering wheel and pedals only a few times.

Super Cruise made the drive boring. I think that’s the point.

Here’s how it works

Super Cruise is available once the driver navigates the vehicle onto an expressway. When ready, a little icon is displayed by the speedometer and the driver hits a button on the steering wheel to switch it on.

Once the light bar on top of the steering wheel turns green, the driver can let go. Super Cruise is driving.

This steering wheel light bar is key to the operation. When green, the driver knows Super Cruise is in control. Blue means the driver interrupted the system to change lanes and red means Super Cruise needs the driver to confirm they’re paying attention and not checking Twitter.

When active, Super Cruise controls the steering and speed, but again, only on an expressway. This is done through on board sensors and using GPS and mapping data. GM employed GeoDigital, a startup in GM Venture’s portfolio, to map 160,000 miles of expressways in the U.S. and Canada. The car company then used Super Cruise-equipped vehicles to test each mile.

This combination of on-board systems combined with map data makes the system feel polished and sophisticated. During my admittedly limited time in the vehicle, the CT6 precisely held its position in the lane and confidently handled sweeping curves at speed. There was no wiggling or squirming — from the Cadillac or myself. The car was in control and I felt safe.

Although the driving conditions were perfect for my test ride, during adverse weather, the system will work normally until one of the key systems is unable to operate. Say heavy rain is affecting the front facing camera from capturing data, or side cameras are unable to see lane markers because of snow – at this point, Super Cruise will alert the driver, and after the driver has regained the wheel, the system will turn off.

Don’t Call Super Cruise Autopilot

Super Cruise is Cadillac’s answer to Tesla’s Autopilot. The system shares a lot of the same marketable points, but there are key differences. For one, Super Cruise only works on expressways. Cadillac’s system also lacks several autonomous features found on Autopilot including the ability to pull the car out of a garage and change lanes by using the turn signals.

Cadillac’s version of this technology is, as the Super Cruise name suggests, a smart version of cruise control.

Cadillac is quick to point out Super Cruise is the first true hands-free driving system for the highway. That’s a direct shot at Tesla’s Autopilot which requires drivers to put their hands on the steering wheel every few minutes. Cadillac’s version uses an IR sensor mounted on the steering column that monitors various aspects of the driver to ensure they’re paying attention. During my time with the CT6, I went a significant amount of time without touching the steering wheel.

Tesla’s system is slightly different. After it debuted in 2015, videos started popping up showing drivers climbing in the backseat while the car was driving. Because some people are idiots, Tesla had to implement a system to ensure drivers were still alert and part of that is requiring the driver to touch the wheel.

It feels like Cadillac built Super Cruise with these Tesla goofball videos in mind. Sensible safety checks are present throughout the system even though, in the end, drivers do not have touch the steering wheel at all to use Super Cruise.

Limited Availability, Extensive Safety

Super Cruise’s IR sensors tracks eye location and head movements. As long as the driver looks at the road every seven to 20 seconds, the system works as expected. The faster the vehicle goes, the shorter this interval becomes. Essentially, if you’re stuck in traffic, crawling along at 20 mph, you’re less likely to make a mess eating a taco.

Let’s say a driver fails to watch the road. At this point the car uses different levels of alerts that escalate in severity. First, the light bar on top of the steering will start to flash green and then red. If this doesn’t cause the driver to look back at the road, the seat starts to vibrate or an alarm sounds and the car starts to coast.

If a driver fails to respond to the previous warnings, the alerts go batty. A spoken alert will urge the driver to regain control of the vehicle. Meanwhile, the car had activated the hazard lights and is using onboard sensors to safely comes to a stop in its lane. A call is also placed to OnStar to see if the driver needs medical attention. If it comes to this level, Super Cruise cannot be reactivated until the car is turned off and turned back on.

These systems follow a logical order of operations. I tried to break them during my drive in the CT6. Closing my eyes activated the system as well as looking away too long. It’s nearly impossible to miss the flashing light on the steering wheel. The alarm is loud. Though I didn’t test the final warning protocols, my experience tells me that a person would have to work hard (or be in genuine distress) to hit this level.

Super Cruise is nearly a SAE Level 3 automated driving system, though it’s still likely Level 2 technically for the purposes of regulatory compliance, given that it requires a driver to be paying most of the time. But GM won’t say specifically how they classify the car by SAE standards. Instead, during my time with a handful of Cadillac engineers and marketing executives, when pressed, they would completely push aside assigning a label. Instead, they said repeatedly that this is a “hands-free driving system for the highway”, explaining that most consumers do not understand the SAE levels anyway.

Cadillac built a fantastic system with the Super Cruise. Its next task is to sell it to consumers.

Super Cruise is unlike anything currently offered for sale from the big three automakers. As such, it’s likely Super Cruise will be the first autonomous system buyers will experience. Dealers will have to answer plenty of what-ifs and it’s important to remember that Cadillac salespeople are not Cadillac employees. Tesla salespeople are employed directly by Tesla.

Cadillac has a large task of educating dealers and consumers alike about the benefits and limitations of Super Cruise. It won’t be an easy task. General Motors will have to rely on independently owned dealerships to correctly position this product and train buyers on its capabilities.

General Motors has packaging on its side. For better or worse, Super Cruise is built into the CT6 like a standard system and not something a driver must use every time they’re on an expressway. This should help timid buyers.

Super Cruise feels like a feature ready for the masses. The system is deeply integrated into the vehicle and using it is akin to using cruise control or turning on the lights. There’s a button for Super Cruise on the steering wheel. Press the button when the system is available and it works. It’s that easy to turn a driver into a passenger.

Lil Durk and Lil Reese are putting the Chi on their backs. The two Windy City reps are joining forces for the new project, Supa Vultures, which is slated to drop later this month. Now we get the visual for the first single, “Distance.”

The dangerous duo keeps it simple for the A Zae-directed video choosing to rap for the camera while enjoying huge blunts in the studio and other discreet locations. The Midwest MCs show off plenty of ice while spitting about staying on point and staying out of silly situations.

“Young nigga ruthless/Nigga wanna tweak I pull up with my shooters/Like a point guard, shooting guard/Caught his ass he so goofy/Why everybody wanna be shooters, these niggas be trickin’/Why you niggas not listening these niggas shootin’ from a distance/Fuck nigga they gon’ make me keep my distance (distance)/That sneak dissin’ gon’ make me keep my distance (distance)/That fake shit gon’ make me keep my distance (distance)/That fuck shit gon’ make me keep my pistol,” they rap on the chorus.

The weekend just got tastier, because Saturday, August 5, marks National Oyster Day. Whether you like to douse your bivalve in lemon juice, hot sauce, or mignonette or just slurp up Mother Nature’s taste of the sea naked, Miami restaurants have got you covered with an array of specials. For those not into the raw deal, there are plenty of equally scrumptious cooked ways to celebrate oysters, such as grilled, smoked, or Rockefeller, so get in on the oyster fun.Burlock Coast Seafare & Spirits. A variety of East and West coast oysters at this hip oceanfront spot have a $1 price tag this Saturday. The Ritz-Carlton, 1 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-302-6460; burlockcoast.com.

Charcoal Garden Bar + Grill at the Wynwood Yard. This eatery built out of shipping containers will offer Island Creek oysters served with mignonette (half-dozen for $18) that pair nicely with 2016 Château Tassin Bordeaux Blanc for $10 a glass. Celebrate with the crowd at the bar or treat yourself to an early dinner (5:30 to 6:45 p.m.), where you can enjoy not only oysters but also half-priced bottles of wine. 82 NW 29th St., Miami; 786-646-2998; charcoalmiami.com.

The Dutch. The Dutch’s “oysters & bubbles” special, normally offered only in the evening, will be available all day Saturday. Diners can slurp and sip all day on a variety of West and East Coast oysters for half-price (regularly $3.50 to $1.50), along with half-priced champagne by the glass. 2201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; thedutchmiami.com.

Juniper on the Water. The friendly, contemporary eatery will serve a shooter with Blue Point oysters, passionfruit ponzu, sea urchin, and sake for $8, as well as a dozen oysters served with poblano pico de gallo, horseradish crème fraîche, and cilantro for $25. 1975 S. Ocean Dr., Hallandale Beach; 954-544-3370; juniperonthewater.com.

La Côte. Relax with oysters and champagne at the Fontainebleau’s two-level beach club. This Saturday, the iconic hotel’s pool area will offer a tableside cart carrying East and West Coast oysters for $3 apiece. Pair them with specials on champagne by the glass or bottle. 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-674-4710;

fontainebleau.com/lacote.

Le Zoo. Stephen Starr’s French brasserie will offer discounted specialty cocktails, $6 wine, and $7 champagne alongside $1 oysters at L’Apero at Le Zoo from 4 to 6:30 p.m. It’s the perfect way to end a day of shopping at the exclusive Bal Harbour Shops. 9700 Collins Ave., Miami; 305-602-9663; lezoo.com.

Lightkeepers. Seafood towers will brim with East and West Coast oysters, Key West shrimp, Alaskan king crab, Florida ceviche, and yellowfin tuna ($75, serves two to four; or $95, serves four to six). Oysters on the half shell will also be available for $1 apiece. 455 Grand Bay Dr., Key Biscayne; 305-365-4156; ritzcarlton.com.

Market at Edition. Stop by for happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. for a glass of Whispering Angel rosé for $10 while enjoying an array of East and West Coast oysters for $2 each. 2901 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-257-4600; editionhotels.com.

Red the Steakhouse. Enjoy oysters for 50 percent off and deeply discounted bottles of champagne such as Dom Pérignon for $150. Secret, off-menu dishes made by chef Peter Vauthy will include oysters Rockefeller and New Orleans-style broiled oysters. 119 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-534-3688; redthesteakhouse.com.Rusty Pelican. For National Oyster Day, patrons can expect dishes such as oyster shooters for brunch, half-priced oyster specials for dinner, and a king caesar oyster duo with passionfruit and Fresno peppers, crisp buttermilk batter, and coriander ($16). 3201 Rickenbacker Cswy., Key Biscayne; 305-361-3818; therustypelican.com.

Wild Sea Oyster Bar & Grille. This chic spot inside the Riverside Hotel is collaborating with Venice magazine to celebrate National Oyster Day. For $45, enjoy unlimited raw oysters with Blue Point lager or Taittinger champagne. A live DJ will entertain, and an oyster-eating contest at 9 p.m. will award the winner with $150. The party runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Purchase tickets here. 620 East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-467-2555; wildsealasolas.com.

Correction: DB Bistro, originally listed in this story, was omitted after restaurant representatives informed New Times that its oyster deal does not apply to weekends.

Bodak Yellow is clearly the shit right now and has reached the #1 charts for SoundCloud AND iTunes.

A lot of New Yorkers; Bronx Jawns, has been bumpin Cardi’s single and has referred it as the song of the summer. Originally the song was released through Atlantic Records, but at the same time was being heard throughout the entire city on car stereos! Her release is no doubt bringing her major success on social media and huge markets across the country.

Not only is the message and beat of Bodak Yellow bumpin, but the music video to it was everything. The visuals, the aggression yet boss gestures she portrayed in the video, just gave the song that extra BOOM. Can’t f*ck with her! Haha. Check out her video below.

Social media had gotten so stirred up with the song to the point, a question has reached out to Kodak Black asking him if he liked the song, and his response was that, he didn’t like Cardi B at first, but after hearing Bodak, he fucked with her. He also responded like a “woah, you tryna holla” because the name of the song is like a mimic to his name. Here’s a video of Kodak’s response to Cardi’s track.

Man Bodak Yellow’s so LIT, that people started posting videos on Instagram and Facebook like “How It Be Like When I Listen To Bodak Yellow” and it’ll be them turning the f*ck up–in an exaggerated hilarious way. This video below is by far the favorite.

Bodak Yellow is Cardi B’s first charting single, and has been climbing up on the Hot 100 since it’s release. Eventually the track peaked the Top 50 and is still rising. At Apple Music’s Top Songs, Bodak Yellow is at No. 2, and is at the top of SoundClouds most played tracks, reaching more than 1.5 million streams.

From talking about her “regular degular shmegular life” on the media, to getting her Instagram fame and turning it into a reality TV stardom AND a poppin’ rap career… It’s safe to say that Cardi B has done made it, but is just getting started.